Behind the scenes at Performance Bicycle

October 14, 2010October 14, 2010

SparkCon Bicycle Chalk Art

SparkCon is an annual art festival intended to showcase, celebrate and influence the creative talents of the Triangle region of North Carolina (the home of our headquarters). One of the many facets of the festival is the Raleigh Street Painting Event where hundreds of artists come together to transform Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street into a giant art gallery. Last month 2 members of the Performance creative team, web designer Jennifer Kunkel and print designer Rob Morales, decided to join forces and showcase their talent with some sidewalk art for the masses.

Things started a bit rocky, to say the least. Awake before noon on a Saturday, and far from the safety of their cubicles, Jen and Rob initially felt intimidated working in a medium as foreign as chalk and concrete. However, they quickly got the hang of it and set off adorning their respective six-foot sections of sidewalk.

Over the next three hours, what emerged from the gravel and chalk dust was a diptych narrative addressing the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. Rob’s piece titled “Couch Potato” depicts the fate of those living in a world without exercise. Confined to his couch, the potato watches television and wishes for better things.

Meanwhile Jen’s “Monsieur Le Fry” was a much more light-hearted piece that found the same potato transformed into a “skinny fry” burning calories on a whimsical bike ride through the forest.

Those visiting Fayetteville Street that day were visibly moved by the power of Rob and Jen’s work, staring in awe for minutes on end before leaving to undoubtedly find their nearest Performance Bicycle store.